Toy automobile carrying case

ABSTRACT

A collapsible, compartmented, toy-receiving structure for receipt of toy cars or any of a variety of other toys. The structure includes a plurality of generally planar bases provided with upstanding walls defining a plurality of compartments having an upper side and at least one other side open so that the contents may be exposed to view. All of the bases save for the uppermost base also include an enlarged, nesting compartment sized to receive the immediately adjacent, uppermost base. The bases are also provided with a releasable locking means whereby they may be locked in an extended position with each base being supported substantially at the uppermost extremity of the upstanding walls of the next lowermost base. A cover with a carrying handle is also provided.

United States Patent Morrison et al.

TOY AUTOMOBILE CARRYING CASE inventors: Howard J. Morrison, Deerfield;

Donald F. Nix, Hanover Park, both of [11.

Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, 111.

Filed: July 2, 1973 Appl. No.: 375,791

Assignee:

6/1965 Cain et a1. 206/45 3/1967 Reiner 206/45 Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Coffee & Sweeney [57] ABSTRACT A collapsible, compartmented. toy-receiving structure for receipt of toy cars or any of a variety of other toys. The structure includes a plurality of generally planar bases provided with upstanding walls defining a plurality of compartments having an upper side and at least one other side open so that the contents may be exposed to view. All of the bases save for the uppermost base also include an enlarged, nesting compartment sized to receive the immediately adjacent, uppermost base. The bases are also provided with a releasable locking means whereby they may be locked in an extended position with each base being supported substantially at the uppermost extremity of the upstanding walls of the next lowermost base. A cover with a carrying handle is also provided.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUHBV 121914 30847; 275

sum 1 or 2 7 l TOY AUTOMOBILE CARRYING CASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a collapsible, compare mented toy-receiving structure and, more particularly, to such a structure wherein a plurality of bases, each having aplurality of toy-receiving compartments, are nestably oriented with respect to each other.

Recent years have seen a vast upsurge in the popularity of miniature vehicles or the like with many children having accumulated several such toys to the extent of forming a collection or the like. Particularly, where such collections are of toy vehicles, the child will frequently desire to transport the entire collection from one place to another for use in play or perhaps, simply for the purpose of display.

As a result, there have been proposed compart mented carrying cases whereby such collections may be easily transported. One difficulty, however, with such prior art proposals is the inability to adequately display the collection while in such a carrying case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved carrying case for toy collections. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide such a carrying case for toy collections which readily facilitates full display of the collection and which simplifies access to the collection to the extent that the case itself may actually be used as a toy if desired.

The exemplary embodiment of the invention achieves the foregoing object in a collapsible, compartmented, toy-receiving structure embodying a plurality of generally planar bases which are adapted to be vertically stacked. Each of the bases includes upstanding walls defining a plurality of individual, toy-receiving compartments. The upstandingwalls on all but the uppermost one of the bases also define nesting compart:-

ments for receipt of the immediately adjacent uppermost base such that the sameqmay fully nest withinthe immediately. adjacent lowermost base toallow the carryingcase to be collapsed. Releasable lockingmeans are providedwhereby each ,basemay be locked in a locationwhereat it is substantially at the uppermost. ex.-

tremityof the upstandingwallsof: the next lowermost base tobe held in a denested condition.

To provide for an adequate display ofthe toys in the individual compartments, each compartment is providediwith. an openupper boundary and at least one openside boundary permittingthe contents of each compartmentto be readily viewed. To assistin retaining-the toys inthe compartment, each base includes aperipheral, upstanding lip.

According to the preferred embodiment, the releasable locking means for maintaining the various bases in a denested: condition include spring. fingers affixed to all but the lowermostsone of the bases, eachhaving a.

relativelyinner upperend and a free lower end extendingoutwardly so as to be engageable with the upper surface of a portionof the upstanding wall of the-immediately, next lower base. The exposed surface of each springfinger from top to bottom gradually tapers outwardly so that when the bases are being moved from a nested condition to i a denested condition, the spring fingers will be cammed inwardly until such time as they overlie the uppermost edge of the upstanding wall of the next lower base, at which time they will spring outwardly to preclude the bases from reassuming a nested condition until such time asthe lower ends of the spring fingers are manually moved inwardly.

Preferably, the uppermost one of the bases includes a centrally located handle portion secured to one of the upstanding walls thereof near the upper end of such upstanding wall to be gripped whereby the bases maybe pulled out of the nested condition.

The invention also contemplates a cover which may be releasably locked to the lowermost one of the bases. In the preferred embodiment, the cover is transparent so as to enable the contents of the structure to be viewed therethrough and includes a carrying. handle.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrying case made according to the invention with the cover assembled thereon;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the collapsible, compartmented toy-receiving structure in the denested condition;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodi-v ment of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a releasable locking means for maintaining one base in a positionelevated relative to the other;

FIG. .5 illustrates the locking means when the various bases of the invention are in anested condition; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustrating one arrangementfor the layout of various compartments on the various bases.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED" EMBODIMENT An exemplary embodiment of a collapsible, compartmented toy-receiving structure made accordingto the=- invention is illustrated in the drawings, andiwith reference to FIG. 1, is seen to include a cover, generally designated lfl'having a top panel l2anddepending side walls 14. Preferably, the cover I0-is formed ofa.transparentmaterialso as to enable the viewingofthecontents therethrough.

One of the side walls l4 isprovided with acarrying handle 16secured to the side wall- 144 in anysuitable fashion. Opposed side. walls adjacentthe side wall: l4: having the carrying handle 161are provided :with releasable lock means, generally designated 18, .wherebypthe cover 10 maybe securedto the remainderof the structure, aswill beseen.

Referring now to FIGS. 2. and3, a compartmented; toy-receiving structure that is collapsible andi which may be assembled with the cover I0 to provide acarr-yk ing case will be described. Asillustrated, first, second,

and third bases or trays, generally-designated 22; 24:;

and 26, respectively, are adapted to be stacked'vertically. Each of thebases 22, 24and26is generally. pla:

nar, havinga planar bottom surface ZSJandupStandingv walls 30. The walls 30 define a plurality of toy receiving compartments 32 on each of the-bases 22; 24

and 26 and a nestingcompartment 34on all but theup permost one of the bases. That is, anesting compartment 34, in the exemplary embodiment is provided on only the bases 22 and 24.

Returning to the toy-receiving compartments 32, the precise configuration of the walls 30 as defining the compartments 32, is not critical to the invention save for the fact that each of the toy-receiving compartments 32 have an exposed upper boundary and at least one exposed side boundary. As can be appreciated from FIG. 3, all of the toy-receiving compartments 32 have at least one open side boundary, while those toyreceiving compartments 32 at the corners of each of the bases 22, 24 and 26 have two side boundaries exposed. The purpose of this construction is to allow the contents of each compartment 32 to be optimally viewed without being blocked by surrounding side walls.

With respect to the actual dimensions of each of the compartments 32, the same will vary, dependent upon the type of toy and its relative dimensions to be received in the compartment.

To assist in retaining toys in the compartments due to the fact that each has at least one open side boundary, the periphery of each of the bases 22, 24 and 26 is provided with an upstanding peripheral lip 38.

With respect to the nesting compartments 34, the configuration and location of the upstanding walls 30 defining the same is of consequence. In particular, that portion of the upstanding walls 30 defining the nesting compartment 34 on the lowermost base 22 must be such as to complement the peripheral configuration of the immediately adjacent uppermost base 24 such that the same may be snugly but slidably received in the nesting compartment 34 of the base 22. The same relation must be observed with respect to the nesting compartment 34 on the base 24 and the immediately uppermost adjacent base 26.

Finally, about the uppermost edge of the upstanding walls 30 defining the nesting compartments 34, there is an inwardly directed, relatively short flange 40. The flange serves as a portion of a releasable locking means whereby the bases 22, 24 may be denested and maintained in a denested condition. That is, the flange 40 serves in conjunction with other means to be described in greater detail hereinafter to maintain the bottom 28 of one of the uppermost bases 24 or 26 at approximately the same level as the uppermost end of the upstanding walls 30 of the immediately lower base 22 and 24, respectively.

All but the lowermost one of the bases 22 is provided with complementary, releasable locking means on opposite sides thereof. In particular, a pair of integrally formed spring fingers 42 are located on opposite sides of each of the uppermost bases 24 and 26 just above a notch 44 in the periphery of the associated base. The spring fingers may be formed of the same material as the remainder of the structure as, for example, plastic, and, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, include an innermost upper end 46 secured to the upstanding wall 30 at a convenient location and having lowermost, outwardly located, free end 48. The free end 48, in turn, includes an outermost downwardly facing surface 50 and an inner, outwardly facing, stop surface 52 extending below the surface 50.

As can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 4 and 5, when the bases 22, 24 and 26 are nested, the spring finger 42 will abut the upstanding side wall 30 of the immediately lowermost base. As the immediately uppermost base is drawn upwardly, the upper surface of the spring finger 42 will engage the flange 40 to be cammed inwardly until the surface 50 clears the upper surface of the flange 40, at which time the resilience of the spring finger 42 will cause the same to assume the position illustrated in FIG. 4. The presence of the stop surface 52 precludes the free end 48 of the spring finger 42 from moving too far outwardly so as to insure pre: cise positioning.

It will also be observed from FIGS. 4 and 5 that the lip 38 of an uppermost one of the bases coacts with the flange 40 of the immediately lowermost base to limit the degree of upward movement so as to maintain the bases 22, 24 and 26 in assembled relationship.

To assist in elevating the bases, the uppermost base 26 is provided with a cross member 56 extending between two of the upstanding walls 30. Others of the side walls 30 are provided with relieved portions 58 whereby the user of the structure may insert his fingers under the cross member 56 to exert a lifting force to denest the bases. When such is done, to the extent that all of the spring fingers 42 on the uppermost ones of the bases assume a position illustrated in FIG. 4, the resulting assemblage will appear as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Returning now to the releasable locking means 18 for securing the cover 10 to the remainder of the assemblage, the lowermost one of the bases 22 is provided with an outwardly extending bail 60 on two opposed sides (only one of which is shown). With reference to FIG. 3, the locking means 18 thereon includes a pair of upwardly directed slots 62 on the depending side wall 14 to define a tab 64. Since the material with which the cover 10 is formed will normally be transparent plastic or the like, it will be appreciated that the tab 64 has some resilience and may be deflected out of the plane of the associated depending side wall 14. The lower end of the tab 64 is provided with an outwardly extending lug 66 having an upper latching surface 68 which may lodge under the underside of the bight of the bail 60, and may also be provided with an outermost, diagonal cam surface 70 so as to enable the lug to be freely cammed into an underlying position below the bail when'the cover is placed on the base 22.

When the structure is to be used, the cover 10 may be removed simply by depressing the tabs 64 on opposite sides thereof such that the lugs 66 clear the bails 60 whereupon the cover may be lifted off. Thereupon, the handle 56 may be grasped and the bases 24 and 26 elevated until such time as the spring fingers 42 achieve a latching position. At this time, the content of the collection of toys in the various toy-receiving compartments 32 may be easily viewed by reason of the exposed top and side boundaries thereof. When it is desired to transport the structure, the spring fingers 42 on one of the bases are depressed to allow the same to assume a nested relation in the immediately lowermost base. This process is repeated until all bases are nested within the lowermost base 22, at which time the cover may be refitted.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the collapsible, comparted toy-receiving structure and carrying case according to the invention achieves the objects set forth previously. The same is relatively simple to construct and may be formed of plastic using conventional molding techniques. When the various bases are denested, maximum access of the contents is permitted providing a vast improvement over prior art structures. The size of the compartments may be varied during manufacturing, depending upon the nature of the toys intended to be received in the compartments. While, as shown in the various drawings, including FIG. 6, one layout for the compartments is illustrated and which is particularly adapted for the recipt of toy vehicles, such as those indicated in phantom at 72 in FIG. 2, it is to be appreciated that the principles of the invention may be employed in connection with other toys such as dolls, doll furniture, etc.

We claim:

l. A collapsible, compartmented toy-receiving structure, comprising: a plurality of generally planar bases stacked one on top of the other, the size of said bases being progressively smaller from bottom to top, each of said bases including a plurality of upstanding walls in turn defining a plurality of individual toy-receiving compartments, each compartment having an open upper boundary and at least one open side boundary adjacent the periphery of the associated base, all of said bases save for the uppermost base including an upwardly open nesting compartment generally larger than any of said individual toy-receiving compartments and sized to snugly but slidably receive the immediately uppermost and adjacent base; and releasable means whereby each base may be locked at substantially the upper extremity of the nesting compartment on the immediately lowermost base; whereby said structure may be collapsed by manipulation of said releasable means to cause each of said bases to nest and may be expanded and held in place whereby toys received in any cludes an upstanding lip about its entire periphery to assist in retaining toys in said toy-receiving compartments.

3. The toy-receiving structure of claim 1 further including a cover panel having depending side walls, said cover being adapted to be disposed over all of said bases when said bases are nested with said depending side walls in substantial abutment with the peripheral edge of the lowermost one of said bases; and means establishing a releasable connection between said cover and the lowermost one of said bases.

4. The toy-receiving structure of claim 3 wherein said cover is formed of a transparent material and is further provided with a carrying handle.

5. The toy-receiving structure of claim l wherein the uppermost one of said bases includes a generally centrally located cross member secured to at least one of the upstanding walls associated therewith near the upper extremity thereof, said handle being adapted to be grasped to elevate all of said bases.

6. The toy-receiving structure of claim 1 wherein said releasable means includes an upper edge surface on the upstanding walls of all but the uppermost one of said bases and adjacent the nesting compartments thereof, and a resilient finger secured to all but the lowermost ones of said bases and having an innermost upper end and a lowermost, outer free end extending beyond the periphery of the associated base so as to overlie said upper edge surface.

7. The toy-receiving structure of claim 6 wherein said upper edge surfaces are defined by inwardly directed flanges.

8. The toy-receiving structure of claim 7 wherein each said lowermost outer free end includes an outer, downwardly facing edge and an inner, outwardly facing stop surface extending below said outer downwardly facing edge. 

1. A collapsible, compartmented toy-receiving structure, comprising: a plurality of generally planar bases stacked one on top of the other, the size of said bases being progressively smaller from bottom to top, each of said bases including a plurality of upstanding walls in turn defining a plurality of individual toy-receiving compartments, each compartment having an open upper boundary and at least one open side boundary adjacent the periphery of the associated base, all of said bases save for the uppermost base including an upwardly open nesting compartment generally larger than any of said individual toy-receiving compartments and sized to snugly but slidably receive the immediately uppermost and adjacent base; and releasable means whereby each base may be locked at substantially the upper extremity of the nesting compartment on the immediately lowermost base; whereby said structure may be collapsed by manipulation of said releasable means to cause each oF said bases to nest and may be expanded and held in place whereby toys received in any of said toy-receiving compartments on any of said bases have their tops and at least one side fully exposed to be viewed.
 2. The toy-receiving structure of claim 1 wherein each of said nesting compartments is centrally located on its respective base and is surrounded by said toy-receiving compartments and each of said bases includes an upstanding lip about its entire periphery to assist in retaining toys in said toy-receiving compartments.
 3. The toy-receiving structure of claim 1 further including a cover panel having depending side walls, said cover being adapted to be disposed over all of said bases when said bases are nested with said depending side walls in substantial abutment with the peripheral edge of the lowermost one of said bases; and means establishing a releasable connection between said cover and the lowermost one of said bases.
 4. The toy-receiving structure of claim 3 wherein said cover is formed of a transparent material and is further provided with a carrying handle.
 5. The toy-receiving structure of claim 1 wherein the uppermost one of said bases includes a generally centrally located cross member secured to at least one of the upstanding walls associated therewith near the upper extremity thereof, said handle being adapted to be grasped to elevate all of said bases.
 6. The toy-receiving structure of claim 1 wherein said releasable means includes an upper edge surface on the upstanding walls of all but the uppermost one of said bases and adjacent the nesting compartments thereof, and a resilient finger secured to all but the lowermost ones of said bases and having an innermost upper end and a lowermost, outer free end extending beyond the periphery of the associated base so as to overlie said upper edge surface.
 7. The toy-receiving structure of claim 6 wherein said upper edge surfaces are defined by inwardly directed flanges.
 8. The toy-receiving structure of claim 7 wherein each said lowermost outer free end includes an outer, downwardly facing edge and an inner, outwardly facing stop surface extending below said outer downwardly facing edge. 